


Love Said No || Ville Valo

by Lucifers_Left_Lung



Category: HIM (Band)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-24
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-01-22 16:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12485848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucifers_Left_Lung/pseuds/Lucifers_Left_Lung
Summary: Kat has moved to Finland to go to college and to escape the family she left behind in the states. Running into Ville Valo - falling in love with him - was never a part of her plan, but she is thankful for every moment spent with him. When her past tracks her down in Helsinki, Kat has no choice but to face it. Will Kat's past and her family come between her and Ville? Or will their love be able to withstand the trials that life keeps throwing at them?[formerly known as "I Begged and Love Said No" ; previously posted]©2013//Lucifers-Left-Lung





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was previously posted under a different title. Since then, I have deleted it and decided to edit/rewrite it in my free time. As I do this, I will upload every newly edited chapter, just as any other story. If you've read the story before it was updated, I highly recommend you read it again, as some things may change, and the writing is definitely a lot better than when I first wrote it four years ago.

 

I rushed to get my coffee and books, my long brown hair falling about my face in a mussed mess from the winter wind. I was going to be late for class yet again. I wasn't sure how many more excuses Mr. Barto was going to accept before he kicked me out. I'd been late several times this semester, all because I just couldn't get used to the different time zone in Finland, after living in America my entire life. Trying not to think of what my professor was going to say about my being late again, I turned to leave the only decent coffee shop I'd found in Helsinki in the few months that I had been there. I'd barely had time to move, though, before my coffee fell to the floor, landing in a mess of caffeine and plastic.

"Oh!" I glanced up to see Ville Valo looking at me with big green eyes, shock on his face.

My mind went blank then, staring into those eyes. "I―Uhm," I stammered, shaking my head.

Ville's hand was on my arm. "I'm so sorry," he exclaimed. "I wasn't paying attention―"

"It's okay," I replied, remembering how late I already was. "I have to go." I moved to leave the coffee shop, just knowing my professor was going to kill me.

Ville gently stopped me. "I didn't get your name," he said.

"Kat."

"Ville." Ville stuck out his hand for me to shake; I obliged quickly.

"I really have to go," I said again. Before he could stop me again, I started for the door, preparing to run as soon as I was outside.

"Maybe I'll see you around?" Ville called after me.

Not letting myself stay back and talk to Ville like I really wanted to, I took off running for the University of Helsinki. Not only was I kicking myself for not staying and talking to Ville, I was sure that Mr. Barto would kick me as well for passing up such an opportunity. I was a journalism major, after all. And Ville Valo was quite famous, especially in his home country of Finland.

Finally reaching the classroom, I practically crashed through the door, attracting the attention of everyone, including Mr. Barto. He seemed quite disappointed in me, as he always was when I was late. I'd been told by him on multiple occasions that I was a promising student, but that if I couldn't get to class on time, how was I ever going to get to a good story on time? He had a point.

"Kat," Mr. Barto started, causing me to blush in my seat at the back of the class. "Would you care to tell us why you're late? Again."

"I ran into someone at the coffee shop and my coffee spilled everywhere," I replied quietly, not mentioning just who I had happened to run into.

Mr. Barto sighed. "Do you at least have your report?"

I quickly looked through my notebook, then my bag, then my notebook again. It was gone. I must have dropped it at the coffee shop. I winced and Mr. Barto shook his head. "I'm sorry," I said. "I must have dropped it back at the coffee shop."

"Have it on my desk tomorrow morning," Mr. Barto said, moving on to the next person. I silently blessed him for having so much mercy on me.

Immediately after class, I walked back to the coffee shop, hoping by some miracle that someone had found my paper and hadn't thrown it away. Maybe they'd left it with the barista? Of course luck would not be on my side today, as the woman behind the counter said that she hadn't found my paper and no one had left it with her, either. That left Ville, because I was certain I'd had the paper when I entered the café. But how the hell was I going to get in touch with a rock star? _That's what you get for not backing up your work, Kat_. I thought to myself angrily.

I left my number with the barista in case Ville came back to look for me, then I headed out to try and find him. There weren't many places I knew to look. I didn't know enough about Ville to know where he liked to hang out, so I tried the closest recording studio. The man there said that HIM didn't record there. Next, I tried the guitar shop, hoping I would get lucky and Ville would be a cliché. Not there, either.

Finally, after looking for what felt like forever, I gave up and went to the park. I sat on my favorite swing, facing the river that was just beginning to freeze. This was my thinking place, though it was starting to get too cold to go there. With a sigh, I gave up. I was just going to have to write that damned paper again.

Gravel crunched behind me and I turned to see Ville standing there, my paper in hand. He was wearing a beanie and jacket against the cold. Under that was a Rammstein shirt that I hadn't noticed that morning; it made me smile―I loved Rammstein. Ville returned my smile and took the swing beside me, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"I believe this is yours," he said, holding my paper out to me.

Gratefully, I took the paper from him, immediately folding it and putting it in my bag. "How did you know where to find me?" I asked him curiously.

Ville shrugged. "Maybe I'm stalking you." He flashed a smile. "I was walking back to the coffee shop, actually, and I saw you here."

"Well, thank you. You're a life saver."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, the cold wind blowing only made colder by the water in front of us. I was used to harsh winters, so this wasn't really anything out of the ordinary for me. What was out of the ordinary was that I was sitting three feet from a rock star as if it were just another day. I glanced over at Ville from the corner of my eye, wondering what he was thinking.

He looked at me then. "You want to get some dinner?" he asked me suddenly.

My mouth dropped open for a moment. "What? Now?" I asked, just as surprised as he seemed to be that he'd just asked me.

"Well, yeah. Why not?" he replied with another shrug.

"Okay, sure."

Ville led me down the street a ways until we stopped at Chez Dominique. I had heard about this place, but I'd never had enough money to even look at it, let alone go inside and order anything. I wasn't sure why Ville felt the need to take me to dinner at such a fancy place as this―was it an ego thing, or was he trying to impress me?―but I wasn't comfortable eating there, not when I'd just met Ville. No way was I letting him spend that much money on me, rock star or not.

"We can't eat here," I said to Ville once we'd gotten inside.

Ville looked confused. "Why not?" he asked.

"It's way too expensive. I'd feel more comfortable if we ate somewhere else." Ville pursed his lips and looked down at me. "Can I choose where we eat?" I asked with a small smile.

Ville smiled. "Fine," he relented. "Where would you like to eat, love?"

"Restaurant Kaisaniemi."

"That old place?"

"Don't you like it?" I asked, feeling slightly offended on behalf of my favorite restaurant.

Ville shook his head and held the door open for me. "It's actually one of my favorites," he said. "I'm just surprised you like it."

"Well, you don't really know me," I replied.

Ville remained silent and I continued a bit ahead of him, heading for Kaisaniemi. How surreal it was that I was chatting with Ville Valo, that we were going out to dinner. Just this morning, I'd been so caught up in college that I had barely managed a coffee. Now, I wasn't even thinking about school at all, my mind on the fact that I was suddenly handing out with a rock star.

Speaking Ville, I hadn't heard from him since we'd left Chez Dominique. I stopped and turned around, running right into Ville. He fell backward, landing in a big pile of snow. My eyes must have been as huge as saucers; my clumsiness was always getting the better of me. I moved to help Ville to his feet, but a second pile of snow fell from the tree above, landing on Ville's head. Unable to control myself, I burst out laughing, my laughs inevitably turning into my signature snorts.

Ville didn't seem nearly as amused, but when he got up, shaking snow from his hair, I saw that he was smiling. "Glad I amuse you so," he said.

I put on my straight face. "Are you sure you want to go to Kaisaniemi all wet?" I asked him with a slight smirk.

Ville's smile widened, his dimples showing. He glanced down at his clothes that were still covered in snow; the snow was beginning to melt, leaving behind wet spots on his shirt and the majority of his pants. "Would it be completely inappropriate to ask you back to my place for a bit so I can change?"

I frowned. "Look, you're a nice guy and all, but I just met you. I'm not that type of girl."

Ville looked stunned. "I―Uhm―"

I snorted. "I'm joking. Which way to your place?"

Ville sighed and shook his head, but the smile had returned to his face. He started in the direction he lived.

 


	2. Chapter 2

We walked through the gate to Ville’s tower and I stopped. I’d never been to this part of town before, never seen an actual _tower_ before. It was huge, but humbly so. The tower was made of stone, with vines and moss growing up the sides, with a wooden door that vaguely reminded me of a drawbridge. I glanced over at Ville, who was waiting, one brow raised. He did know that towers weren’t places people normally lived, didn’t he?

“You have a flair for the dramatic, you know that?” I told him. He made a face, seemingly confused. I walked on ahead of him.

Ville caught up to me in a few strides, but halfway up the walk to the door, he slid on snow and landed on his face. I tried to hold back my laughter once again, but it was nearly impossible. I managed a choking sound and turned it into coughing, but when Ville looked up at me from the ground, I couldn’t hold it in any longer. He glared up at me, but there was playfulness in his eyes.

“You know, you’re pretty clumsy for a guy who jumps around on stage,” I said, helping him to his feet.

“I wasn’t clumsy until you came around,” Ville retorted with a smirk.

With a serious expression, I said, “Well, I’d better leave, or you might wake up dead tomorrow.” I turned and started walking back for the gate, hoping he would stop me. How dumb would I look if he just let me go?

Ville grabbed my wrist, gently making me stay. “First of all,” he said, “I don’t want you to leave. Second of all, you can’t wake up dead.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, you can’t.”

“Yes. You can.” I scooped up a handful of snow and smashed it over his head. Ville’s mouth dropped open as he gaped at me, surprised. When his expression changed from shock to mischievous, I knew that he was about to retaliate. I took off for the front door, only to find that it was locked, and I was trapped.

“Ahh!” I screamed as the cold snow hit my head and slid down my back under my shirt. I did an about-face and tackled Ville onto the snowy ground.

When we finally made it inside, both of us soaked and freezing, Ville insisted on putting my clothes in the dryer. He gave me some pajamas and an old button-up shirt, and we sat across from each other at the island bar in his kitchen, drinking hot chocolate.

Inside the tower wasn’t really what I thought it would be. I’m not exactly sure _what_ I thought it would be like. It looked like your typical house on the inside, except there were various art supplies and notebooks lying around. CDs littered the coffee table and there was a shelf with DVDs and books against the far wall. The kitchen wasn’t large, with black tile and marble countertops, and a window looked out on the front yard where Ville and I had just had our snow fight.

I pulled my dark hair back into a ponytail and said, “Well, that was fun.” I had a plastered on my face and I knew I must look goofy, but I didn’t care. Ville smiled an easy smile and took my empty mug to place in the sink. “You know, for all your melancholy lyrics, you’re a pretty happy guy.”

Ville leaned against the counter, his arms crossed over his chest. I waited for him to reply, but he simply stood there, staring at me. His eyes wandered over to the clock on the wall and he frowned. “It’s getting late,” he finally said, ignoring my comment altogether. “How about instead of going out, I just cook us something here?”

Deciding to let the previous conversation go, I rested my elbows on the island bar. It was only seven in the evening, but I no longer felt like going out, so I nodded. “That sounds good,” I replied. “What are you going to make?”

“What do you want?”

I tapped a finger on my chin in thought. “Spaghetti.”

Ville made a face. “I’m a vegetarian.”

“Salad?” I said, not really sure what vegetarians ate. I could admit that I was completely ignorant on some things and vegetarianism was one of them.

Ville chuckled. “I’ll just get some vegetarian meat.” It was my turn to make a face. “Don’t worry, love, it’s good.”

Hopping off my barstool, I followed Ville out into the living room, reaching for my shoes. “You can stay here, I’ll be back in a bit,” he told me. I opened my mouth to object, but Ville then opened the door to reveal that it was now snowing pretty hard outside.

“Are you sure you want to go out in that?” I asked him.

Ville shrugged. “Nothing new for me, darling. Stay inside.” I watched Ville walked out the door and into the falling snow.

I stood there awkwardly for a moment, just looking around. What was I meant to do while he was gone? First thing: I had to pee. I ventured in search of the bathroom, searching downstairs until I found it at the end of the hall. As weird as it sounds, the bathroom was beautiful. The sink, toilet, and claw-foot bathtub were all black porcelain; there was red trim around the white walls and the towels were all red. The floor was white marble; the window was closed and I could see the black shutters outside.

Why was the bathroom so fancy while the rest of the house was so ordinary? Not that ordinary was a bad thing; it just didn’t make much sense to me.

I used the bathroom and continued upstairs to see the rest of the tower. I knew it was probably wrong to be snooping, but I couldn’t help myself. Ville’s home was so different from any that I had ever seen before. I couldn’t resist. There were a couple of rooms at the top of the stairs. I walked to the end of the hall and opened the door. This was obviously Ville’s room. The king-sized bed had a black comforter. There were CDs scattered on the dresser, and an ashtray on the bedside table. _Go back downstairs_. I thought. _Wait for Ville._ I turned to head back down to the kitchen and saw Ville leaning against the doorframe.

Ville raised an eyebrow. “Find what you’re looking for?” he asked me.

My heart dropped. “I wasn’t looking for anything,” I said. “I was just taking a look around. I’ve never been in a tower before and―I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been up here.” When Ville didn’t say anything, just stared at me in silence, I said, “Maybe I should go.” I tried to walk past him, but Ville put his arm out, blocking the doorway. I swallowed.

“It’s okay,” he said, dropping his arm. “You can leave if you want, but I would like you to stay.” Ville raised a brow, his lips turning up into a light smile. “Besides, I was hoping you’d cook. I’m a horrible chef.”

I smiled and followed Ville downstairs to the kitchen. On the counter was paper bags filled with the things needed to make spaghetti. Ville pulled out garlic bread and beer, setting them on the counter. The label on the beer told me it was non-alcoholic. I cocked a brow and glanced up at Ville. I wasn’t a huge drinker, but I’d never tried non-alcoholic beer before.

Ville shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t drink anymore,” he said. “This lets me drink beer without the consequences.”

“I’m not much for alcohol, either,” I replied, pulling one of the beers from its cardboard sleeve and popping it open. I made a face. “I hope this is good.” Slowly, I put the bottle to my lips and took a sip, nearly spitting it out. “That is horrible,” I said, putting the bottle down on the bar.

Ville chuckled. “It doesn’t taste that well, but it’s better than the alternative,” he told me, opening his own beer.

Ville got me the cooking utensils and I set about making spaghetti while he watched, beer in hand. He offered to put on some music and came back a moment later; Black Sabbath was quietly playing over the speakers, easy background music.

When I finally finished our dinner, I handed Ville a heaping plate, to which he smiled brightly. We sat across from each other at his island bar, listening to Black Sabbath and eating in silence. Ville drank his gross beer and I drank water. Even though we were saying nothing, it was still the best time I’d had in a while. Since I’d moved to Finland, I’d been so caught up in school and work that I’d hardly had time to do anything more. Even though I was sure this was just a one-time hangout and it was unlikely to happen again, I was glad that Ville had taken the time out of his day and his undoubtedly hectic life to hang out with me, a poor American college girl.

“I should go,” I said once we’d both finished eating.

Ville frowned. “Why?” he asked.

I pointed to the clock on the wall. “It’s nearly nine.”

“Well, let me walk you.”

“No, I’ll call a cab.” I smiled and dialed the number on my cell phone.

Ville gave me a look. “I’m walking you,” he repeated with a grin. “It’s not too far, is it?”

I sighed and relented. “It’s not that far.” I put the phone in my pocket and took my now dry clothes from Ville.

A few minutes later, Ville and I started walking for my apartment. I pulled my hood up and jammed my hands in the pockets of my jacket, but I was still freezing. The snow wasn’t coming down nearly as hard now as it had been earlier, but the wind was biting cold. Ville took one of his jackets off and draped it over my shoulders; I pulled it around me gratefully.

“Thanks,” I told him.

“No problem.” We were silent for a few moments, until Ville said, “So, how long are you in Finland?”

“Until I graduate from the University next month. I transferred here for the last few months of school because I heard the journalism program was the best. More like the hardest.”

“I see,” Ville said.

We walked the rest of the way to my apartment without saying anything. When we finally reached my door, after Ville insisted on walking me upstairs to my door, I could tell the goodbye was going to be an awkward one. Ville and I didn’t know one another, we weren’t friends and we weren’t dating. In fact, I was quite certain that we wouldn’t even see each other again, except maybe in passing.

Smiling, I opened my door, grateful to finally be home and out of the cold. Before I could say goodbye, though, Ville had pulled me into a hug. Surprised, I hugged him back. “What was that for?” I asked him when he’d let me go.

Ville smiled shyly. “I had a great time today,” he said. “I haven’t had a lot of fun being sober, aside from being on stage. I usually just work on my music and go to bed, where I used to spend the night getting wasted. So, thank you.”

I felt my face heat up and smiled. “You’re welcome. Thank you for dinner.”

“Yeah, we should do this again.”

“Definitely.” I was trying not to sound too desperate. I wasn’t desperate, not really. My heart had dropped to my toes and my stomach was filled with excited butterflies, but I wasn’t desperate. All night, I had convinced myself that this thing with Ville wasn’t going to go anywhere, or amount to anything. And maybe it still wouldn’t amount to anything. But the fact that he wanted to see me again made me hopeful that we would at least get a chance to know one another better.

Realizing I still had Ville’s jacket, I took it off and handed it to him. He smiled again and kissed my cheek. “Can I have your number?” he asked, almost as an afterthought. I quickly jotted my cell number on a random piece of paper and handed it to him. With one last grin, he was gone.

Inside, I was too happy to do anything but smile myself. After a hot shower, I put on some pajamas and made me some hot chocolate. I climbed into bed, but my mind was racing; there was no way I would sleep. My phone rang beside me and I found myself hoping that it would be Ville. But the clock on the nightstand told me it was after midnight. Surely, he wouldn’t be calling me this late. So who would?

“Hello?” I answered, my voice clear from having not been asleep yet.

“Hey, sis!” I heard my twin sister, Nat, say from the other line. My heart started pounding and I mentally kicked myself. Why hadn’t I checked the caller-ID?

I groaned. “What do you want?”

Nat’s smile wasn’t hard to miss, even through the phone. “I’m in Finland,” she said.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**NAT:**  
I smiled as I hung up the phone. I knew that Kat didn’t want me here in Finland, that’s why telling her was so fun. My sister and I had never gotten along that well, which was fine with the both of us, usually. But there were times when even I missed my sister. Now wasn’t one of those times; messing Kat was just a favorite pastime of mine. She was too easy to bother. She was also too humble to not let me stay with her, which was why I’d asked.

Kat sighed on the other end of the line. “Sure, you can stay with me, I guess,” she said. “Until you get used to Finland.” It was after midnight, but Kat sounded wide awake. _What have you been up to?_ I thought mischievously.

“Thanks, sis,” I replied. “What’s your address?”

After Kat had given me her address, I turned smugly to my best friend, Belle. She and I looked nothing alike―where she had blonde hair, I had Kat’s same brown hair; where Belle’s eyes were bright blue, mine were a dark hazel―but we were far closer than Kat and I had ever been. Belle seemed to understand me, even when my own sister couldn’t, and I helped her escape her multiple stepfathers.

“What did she say?” Belle asked me, a frown on her painted pink lips.

“We can stay with her,” I replied.

Belle’s frown deepened. “But you only asked if you could stay, not both of us.”

I patted my friend’s knee. “She knows you’re with me. You’re always with me.” I shrugged. “And if she doesn’t, then too bad.”

Belle smirked. She knew I was right. Kat wouldn’t mind; she did anything for me, anything she thought was right. The cab stopped outside Kat’s apartment building and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I wasn’t sure why, but every time I was about to see my sister, I got this feeling. I shrugged it off and got out of the cab, smiling at Belle. This would be fun.

 

**KAT:**  
My eyes hurt as I stared at the email, reading over it for typos. I’d been up all night, with only one hour of sleep. At first, I hadn’t been able to sleep due to Ville taking up every thought in my mind, but as soon as Nat had called, she’d been the only thing I could think about. My twin sister being in town was troubling, not only because we rarely talked, but also because whenever she came around, she only caused me trouble. Honestly, it felt like that was her sole purpose in life: to make mine harder.

I’d just emailed Mr. Barto my paper, having decided to stay home and rest, when I heard a loud _crash_ from the kitchen. I jumped up, my heart pounding as I raced into the kitchen. There was broken glass on the tile floor, Nat standing there with an innocent look on her face.

“What happened?” I asked Nat, who was now giggling.

“I broke a plate, silly,” she replied.

Looking at my sister like she was insane, I shook my head. “I’m too tired to deal with this,” I told her. “Clean it up, I’m going to bed.” I stalked back into my room, slammed the door after me, and crashed.

Four hours later, it was almost noon and I felt oddly rejuvenated. With a sigh and a stretch, I went to my closet to find something to wear. I chose a teal cardigan, a white undershirt, and black skinny jeans, with my hair in a ponytail. I went out into the living room; Nat and Belle were watching TV and I jumped, forgetting they were even there.

“Where are you going?” Nat asked as I put on my hi-tops.

“Coffee shop,” I said, scooping up my jacket, scarf, and cell.

Nat gave me a look. “Why? We have coffee here,” she said as if I were stupid and didn’t know I had coffee in my own house.

“I know. I go to the coffee shop every morning, and since I slept in a little late today, I have to go redeem myself to the cashier who always has my coffee waiting.” I hated explaining myself and I didn’t want to hear what Nat or Belle had to say, so I quickly left and let the door shut behind me.

The coffee shop was surprisingly vacant for lunchtime. I had figured would be a rush, but the cold weather seemed to be getting to everyone. The usual cashier wasn’t there today, so I ordered my usual and sat at a table near the window. I hadn’t brought my laptop, so I just sipped on my coffee, no wanting to return home to Nat and Belle. Nat and I may look alike on the outside, but Belle and Nat were twins on the inside.

I finished the last of my coffee and stood just as I saw Ville walk through the door, the bell jingling overhead. After tossing my cup in the trash, I decided to say hello. He and I had had good night. In fact, he was one of only a few people in Helsinki that I could say that about. Since I’d moved from the states, I hadn’t spent a lot of time with many people, and Ville had made me feel more welcome than anyone in the short time we’d spent together.

“Katerina,” Ville said before I had the chance to speak.

“Hey,” I said. “You know, no one calls me that.”

Ville smiled. “I know. Hope you don’t mind it, though.”

“I don’t, actually.”

Ville ordered his coffee and some cinnamon buns. “Would you like some coffee, love?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “I just finished mine.”

“Sit with me at least?”

Ville and I sat at my same table, the plate of cinnamon buns between us. I took one and bit into it gingerly, savoring it. I loved cinnamon buns. Ville took his jacket off and placed it over the back of his chair. He was wearing a black button-up shirt, black skinny jeans, a grey scarf and beanie. The outfit was nearly identical to the one he’d worn the night before. I silently wondered if he had a closet of the same clothes like they showed on cartoons. The idea made me smile.

Ville took a sip of his coffee. “So how was school?” he asked me.

I shrugged. “I’m sure it was great,” I replied. “I didn’t go.”

“Why not?”

Sighing, I placed my cinnamon bun back on the plate. I didn’t even want to think about Nat or Belle or what they were doing to my apartment at that moment. “Let’s just say a problem arrived last night around twelve-thirty and I didn’t get much sleep.”

Ville quirked a brow, his expression one of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“My twin sister came to town last night. She’s staying with me for an indefinite amount of time.”

“I didn’t know you had a twin,” Ville said, brushing a curl out of his face. “Can I meet her?”

Frowning, I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Ville’s brows drew together. “Why?” he asked me.

I let my hazel eyes meet his green ones. “She’s―” I stopped, seeing my twin and her other half coming towards us. “Hi, Nat.”

“Hey, sis,” Nat said, coming over and wrapping me in a hug; I didn’t move. I knew exactly what she was doing with her I-love-my-sister-so-much act. “Who’s this?” She motioned to Ville.

“Ville,” I stated simply. Ville stuck his hand out for Nat to shake, but she hugged him as well. I pushed the plate of cinnamon buns away; I had lost my appetite.

Belle stood there watching the whole exchange, a smile plastered across her sharp features. She was as much a part of this as Nat. I glared at her and she frowned, he gaze flickering to the floor.

“We have to go,” Nat said. “We just stopped by to see if this place is as good as Kat made it out to be.”

I fake-smiled at her. “Bye,” I said.

“See you at home,” Nat replied with a smile.

Ville looked at me after they’d gone and I already knew what he was going to say. “She seemed nice enough.”

“Right,” I said.

Ville finished his coffee and stood, holding his hand out to me with a smile. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. I met his smile with my own and obliged.

 


End file.
